Fate's Identity

Chapter 22 (Part I)

"Ally!" Simon yells.

I trot down the stairs and cautiously walk to the kitchen where Simon resided. I stand in front of him.

"Sofia and I won't be home until Sunday night," he says. "Would you mind helping us load the car?"

"Yes," I reply. I walk to the door where the bags and suitcases laid. I pick three to carry and walk out to the car.

Simon and Sofia are going out of town. Sofia's violin solo got her to be in state. Simon, being Simon, didn't want her to go there with the other students, so he volunteered to help chaperone the students that made it to state as well.

I toss their luggages in the back trunk and walk back inside. In the doorway, Simon and Sofia, holding one luggage each, pass me. Simon gets my attention and says, "Ally, I have a list for you to do. It's on the table, and I expect every single one of those chores to be done by the time your sister and I come back. I expect nothing less. I'm putting you in charge, so don't disappoint."

I nod my head. I walk inside and look on the kitchen table. Taped, I found the list folded. I remove the duct tape and unravel the piece of paper. My eyes drop, seeing the million things that I needed to get done in a little over twenty-four hours.

I push all of the negative feelings away and embrace the positive and optimistic ones. I can do most of these before six, hopefully. But I need time to get ready before that. I don't want Liam to wait. Today is our date. A part of me is happy while the other is stress. Stressed how everything is going to turn out.

I remain calm. I read the first thing to do on the list: Give medicine to Camila. Poor Camila has been sick all day. I think she might have caught a cold from the weather.

I fold the paper and place it in my pocket.

I open up the medicine cabinet and search for some ibuprofen or Advil. Because of my height, I couldn't see much of the labels. Only the front capsules. I take a random guess and grab a capsule. The label reads Advil. I hold and twist the top off. I carefully shake the capsule onto the palm of my hand until there were two pills resting. I grab a cup and fill it up with water. I rush up the stairs and enter Camila's room. Inside, Camila sat on her bed. Her waist down to her feet were cover by the blanket sheet. She held a book in her hand as her glasses partly reflects the text off of the piece of paper. I knock on the wall, but she did not turn to look. Her eyes were only focus on the book. I clear my throat, and that caused her to place her book down and her eyes on me.

"Excuse me, but it's medicine time," I said.

Camila groans and curses. Her nasally voice whines, "Why? I already had some last night?" I shut the door behind me, setting the cup of water and the pills on her night stand, and I take a seat on the edge of her bed.

I shake my head. "No can do. Simon said so. In fact, it was first on my list of chores."

Camila creases her brow, bookmarking her book and closing it. "List?" She questions. "Isn't today-" she sniffs, "your date with Liam?"

I nodded, disappointed. "Yeah, but it'll be okay. I already know how to do most of it."

"Gee, Cinderella, you would rather clean up than go to the ball," Camila jokes, which doesn't lighten my mood. Her expression saddens, and she reaches for my hand. Holding it, she caresses my thumb gently. "I'm sorry," she says.

I smile a little. "It's alright. It's not your fault anyway."

"Let me help you," Camila offers, but I shake my head immediately.

I lift my hand, removing her hand, and point at her. "No, you are sick. Simon is going to kill me if he knew that I let you work while you're in this state. Plus, you might get an infection or something."